The Authentic Artist: Ryan McGuinness

"I liken myself to a politician who hates what's going on and therefore wants to change the system, change what's going on...

... I hate art, and that's why I make art."

My Own Authentic Experience:

Forest Park. To me, there is nothing more "Portland" than biking only minutes to get to any entry point in the nation's largest forested area within city limits. At a staggering 5,100 wooded acres and over 70 miles of hiking and biking trails, Forest Park provides the ultimate Portland escape for me. Not only is the park unique to Portland, but it feels quintessentially "Oregon" as well. Yay for trees!

Portland Public Service Building: An Authentic History

A controversial icon of post-modern architecture, Michael Graves' design (commonly referred to as the "Portland Building") remains an example of one of the first post-modern buildings of the time, and certainly in the area. Known to architects as the reason post-modernism failed, the building's structural problems also stand as a running joke to the civil servants inside.

To me, the building is distinctly authentic to Portland simply because of the renown controversy and its historical significance. The addition of the bronze statue of Portlandia also seems unique to Portland (the building is not complete without the statue, nor the statue without the building).

An Exploration in Production and Consumption

Yes, it's kindof trendy to be 'green' right now, but this website, though it may just be rephrasing things said in Bill McDonnough's "Cradle to Cradle," or Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," still makes a good point in a unique way. A short 20-minute video presentation narrated by Annie Leonard, this video is entirely animated diagrams. Not only does this "blank" format allow people to identify with the presentation much like people identify with cartoons, but the creative use of such diagrams allows the pace of the video to maintain its fast and informative pace.

www.thestoryofstuff.com

Additionally, if you are interested in furthering you understanding of where the products you buy are manufactured, artist Natalie Jeremijenko has started a project called "How Stuff is Made." The format is much like a wiki in that the users are typically the ones inputing the information. It's a very interesting and different approach to getting the same message out!

https://wikis.nyu.edu/xdesign/menupage.html

Sousou: The Ultimate "Authentic" Brand

While visiting Japan, I came across this unique shoe and textile brand. Using traditional design for jikatabi, or work shoes, they use colorful fabrics and leathers to create edgy fashion statements. I'm not sure if the style will catch on to be widely trendy throughout the country or world, but I certainly have found them to be quite comfortable!

A Gathering of Elephants

Authenticity vs. History

My grandfather fought in Germany during WWII, bringing back a 'souvenir' given to him by a family he befriended while over there. Because he died shortly after in the Korean War, I never knew him. Throughout my childhood I was drawn to this book for the simple fact that it was one of the few remaining artifacts from my grandfather's life. 

As we explore the meaning and implications of authenticity in class, I would like to add this book to the list of meaningful, "authentic" objects. Though it now has significant historical reference, it remains authentic to me simply because it really is from the era it depicts... like a yearbook, but for the country of Germany. The best part about this book is that the pictures were glued-in separately from the printed page. As part of the propaganda of the times, it was not uncommon to have 'interactive' literature... books in which pictures could be glued-in by children, or families.